Thruway Authority's Syracuse director demoted following probe of state vehicle use

Syracuse, NY - The director of the state Thruway Authority’s Syracuse Division was demoted last week for not properly recording which of the nearly 200,000 miles logged on his state-owned vehicle involved personal use.

Garrabrant also admitted he took family camping trips and gave friends and colleagues rides in the authority’s SUV, according to the report released Tuesday.

Garrabrant did not get in trouble for those outings, however, because he had “unrestricted” use of the vehicle under authority policies at the time, according to the report.

Gloria Wright/The Post-StandardRichard Garrabrant, former director of the state Thruway Authority's Syracuse division

Instead, the report criticized Garrabrant for failing to keep adequate mileage records, a requirement for federal income tax filings. Miles put on work vehicles for personal use must be recorded as a taxable benefit.

The report, which examined vehicle usage from 2006 to 2010, also criticized him for having Thruway Authority mechanics install a roof rack on the SUV that he later used to transport a personal canoe. Garrabrant said he needed the rack to transport a ladder to inspect a bridge. He was not asked to repay the $189.70 cost of the installation.

On Nov. 25, Garrabrant was reassigned to special assistant to the chief engineer in the authority’s Albany headquarters. His pay dropped from $138,519 to $125,000, according to the authority.

“While the authority does not normally comment on personnel matters, this is an unfortunate situation where a long-term and well-regarded employee made mistakes and has receive appropriate disciplinary action, including reassignment and a reduction in pay,” authority spokesman Thomas Ryan said in a statement.

“The authority takes ethics infractions very seriously, and acted immediately and appropriately on the inspector general’s findings when they were made available to us,” Ryan wrote.

Patrick Hoehn, the Syracuse deputy division director, has been appointed as acting division director.

In 2007, the Inspector General’s office criticized the Canal Corp., a part of the Thruway Authority, for improper vehicle use. Then, inspectors found a Canal Corp. worker was using a state car to shop for groceries, run errands and take care of business related to a second job.

The Thruway Authority had no provision in 2007 requiring staff to log mileage or explain vehicle usage.

In August, the authority issued a revised policy regarding vehicle use that limits daily commute to 50 miles one way. It also reminded workers to keep a log of distance traveled and stated that all vehicles should be used for “official business” except for “incidental activities.”

New York has no statewide policy regarding government vehicle use. Each agency is charged with setting its own guidelines.